Chapter 22
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Bray
“I need a favor,” I say to Al, Margie, and Cornelia.
Margie smirks. “Are we babysitting tonight?”
I deflate a little. “That obvious?” I state.
Cornelia cackles. “Child, you couldn’t be more obvious if you boned her in the middle of the dance floor.”
I glare at her, and she shrugs. “Don’t shoot the messenger. I was watching you two dance.” She motions to the dance floor. I grimace. I thought we were dancing like normal people, but the way Cornelia said that makes me feel self-conscious that everyone was watching us.
She clearly reads my mind because she laughs again. “Don’t worry. It’s just my old-lady Spidey senses.”
I eye her suspiciously, but she just shrugs and grabs her glass of wine.
“We are winding down here. So, we’ll grab Ava and go get her stuff. She can sleep in the giant sofa bed we have,” Margie says.
“Thank you,” I reply.
She winks. “You kids have a fun night.”
I roll my eyes, and she laughs. “Of course you will. You have three years of pent-up sexual frustration to fuck out of each other. Damn, what I wouldn’t give to be young again?”
Al chuckles, and I give him a seething look. He just smiles and shakes his head.
“Cheers to that,” Cornelia says with a clink of her wineglass against Margie’s.
“Give us twenty minutes to vacate the area and get your little one back to our place. We’re old, and we move slow,” Cornelia adds.
I nod. “Thank you all.”
I head over to where Ava is dancing around with the other little kids. “Hey, Peanut. Miss Margie and Miss Cornelia really want you to spend the night tonight. You down for that?”
She giggles and throws her hands in the air as she dances. “Yes!” she screams. I can already tell she’s had a bite of cake because there is a piece of frosting smeared on her lower lip.
“Wonderful. They’ll come grab you in a few minutes so you can get your stuff for a sleepover,” I say with a wink.
She fist-pumps before coming over to hug me. I pick her up and twirl her as she leans her head against my chest. I kiss the crown of her head, inhaling her little-kid-shampoo scent before setting her down. This kid has all of my heart and then some.
“Goodnight, Unca Bray,” she says and waves at someone.
I turn to see Carly walking over to us.
“Mom! I’m having a sleepover with Miss Margie and Miss Cornelia!” she says excitedly as I set her down.
“Wonderful. You’ll have so much fun,” Carly says.
“I’m gonna make them help me look for that key tomorrow,” she says as she does a silly dance move.
Carly laughs and leans down to hug her daughter. “You be good, OK?”
Ava rolls her eyes. “I’m always good.”
Carly gives her a pointed look.
“Fine, I’m mostly always good,” she rephrases.
I press my lips together to keep myself from laughing.
“OK. I’ll see you in the morning,” Carly says as Margie and Cornelia make their way over to us. After a brief chat and another round of hugs, they leave with Ava.
The music slows, and I hold out my hand to Carly. “May I have this dance?” I ask.
She blushes and nods as I pull her into my arms. She melts against my chest. I half wonder if she can hear my heart thumping hard against my rib cage or my dick trying to stand at full staff.
I’m nervous, excited, and horny as fuck. I need to get her alone as soon as possible.
“I think it’s time we called it a night,” I whisper against her ear.
“OK,” she replies as she leans back and looks up at me. I see hesitation, and I’m concerned.
“Are you sure?” I ask.
She nods and takes a deep breath. We’ll be having a talk once we are alone. I need to make sure she’s one hundred percent on board with this.
We say our goodbyes and head down the path toward our villa. She reaches for my hand, and I squeeze hers back, keeping it tucked in mine as we walk. The villa’s quiet when we get inside. I lead us up to her room, wanting to make her as comfortable as possible.
I don’t turn on the lights as the moonlight shines through the windows, illuminating her.
“Turn around,” I say in a raspy voice. I’m practically holding my breath in anticipation.
I feel as if I’m about to unwrap the biggest Christmas gift under the tree, the one I’ve been eyeing for weeks.
She slowly turns. I push her hair over her shoulder, allowing me to view the top of her back.
I run a single finger over her soft skin before tugging the zipper and pushing the dress over her shoulders.
It falls in a pool around her feet. I lay a kiss on the back of her shoulder and am rewarded when her skin dots with goose bumps.
“You’re gorgeous, baby,” I coo as I let my tongue dart out to taste her skin. She shivers. I hold out my hand and help her step out of the dress. She turns to face me, but her eyes don’t meet mine.
I use a finger to push her chin up until our gazes meet.
“You still OK?” I ask.
She nods, but I can see her anxiety ratcheting up, and I don’t like it.
“Talk to me, Carls,” I command. I need to know we are on the same page.
She swallows hard but doesn’t look away. “Uh…having a baby…it changes you…physically,” she admits.
I breathe a sigh of relief. My beautiful woman is self-conscious and needs to be reassured that she, in fact, is the most sexy lady I’ve ever seen. That, I can do something about.
“What changed? What bothers you now?” I ask.
She looks away this time, and I draw her face back to mine.
“You can tell me anything,” I assure her.
She glances down. “I have stretch marks,” she whispers. “And my boobs aren’t as perky as they used to be. And…” She trails off, and I lean down to look at her.
“And what, baby?” I ask.
“I…haven’t looked myself but…Chad said my…that I wasn’t the same…afterward…down there,” she manages in barely a whisper.
I want to murder her ex. I’ve never felt violence before, not like this, but if that man were here right now, I’d kill him with my bare hands and feel nothing.
Carly’s hand on my cheek pulls me from my anger. “Hey. Where did you just go?” she asks as her soft fingers caress my day-old stubble.
I swallow down my anger and take her face in my hands.
“You are beautiful. There isn’t a part of you that isn’t perfect.
The fact that your body changed to grow, birth, and nourish Ava only makes you even more beautiful.
If Chad didn’t see that, then he’s more stupid than I gave him credit for,” I say as I lean down and kiss her.
I feel salty tears and lean back to wipe them away.
“I’m going to erase everything he ever said to you, starting right now,” I promise as I go to shove her a little so she lands on the bed. And that’s when I see the tears streaming down her cheeks.
I fall to my knees and place my hands on either side of her. “Carly, I need to know exactly what happened between you and Chad. Right now,” I say, keeping my voice calm even though inside I’m losing it.
Tears stream down her face, and even in the dim light, I can see her cheeks redden. “I’m sorry,” she whispers. “Fuck. I…I’m so sorry. I…I didn’t think I’d…I’ve never reacted like that…I…” She stumbles over her words, and my hands slowly go to cup her face again, swiping tears.
“Fuck. Carly, what did he do to you?” I whisper. I give her a moment as she takes a few deep breaths.
“The night I left him,” she begins as I search her eyes.
“We got in a fight. He said I was ugly and fat. He told me I repulsed him.” She sniffles.
“I mean he said a lot that night. After he left, I packed us up and…that was the beginning of the end. He sort of apologized when we finally spoke a few days later, but I just knew in my gut that we could never be happy together, that he’d never really loved me or Ava,” she manages.
I sit down next to her. Sex is the last thing on my mind now.
“Come here,” I say as I gently put my arm around her shoulders and pull her to me. She curls up against me, resting her head on my shoulder. “Tell me what to do.”
She’s quiet for a moment. “Please, don’t let him take this from me too. I want to be with you. I’m sorry I reacted that way. I…I’m glad you know,” she explains.
I weigh my options and decide that I’m going to spend tonight erasing every horrible thing he said to her and every touch that wasn’t loving.
She deserves the world, and I’m going to give it to her.
If it takes me ten years to undo the damage he did, then so be it.
I will gladly be here with her, reminding her just how wonderful she is.
I take her face in my hand and tilt her head up to meet mine. “You tell me if you need me to stop. OK?”
She nods and licks her lips. “OK,” she murmurs as her gaze flickers to my lips.
I turn us and kiss her as I gently undo her bra, and then motion for her to lie on the bed. She lies down, and I help her to remove her panties.
I take a long moment to look at her, to drink in every inch of her body. She’s beyond perfection.
“There’s not one thing I don’t love about what I see right now, baby,” I assure her.
She lets out the breath she’s been holding.
I practically rip my clothes off before I lean down and lick a stretch mark.
She moans as I move further down her body with a heady desire to taste her again.
I settle between her legs and run my tongue between her folds.
I groan as I taste her. I slowly sink a finger into her, and she levitates off the bed. I chuckle at her reaction.
“Easy there, killer. I’m just getting started,” I tease as I nip at her folds. I ease a second finger inside her and curse her ex when she whispers my name.
“You are perfect everywhere,” I assure her as I watch her body stretch around my fingers. I don’t give her time to answer as I go back to licking and sucking. I want her to come. I need her to come.
It takes her a moment to find her zone, but when she does, holy shit.
She cries out as her body trembles, her inner muscles undulating around my fingers, her wetness dripping down them.
I’ve never needed inside a woman more than I do right now.
I get up on my knees to move forward. She leans up and licks the length of me.
I half groan, half growl as I hold her head. “Fuck, Carly. Yes,” I cry out as I try not to move against her mouth, letting her have control.
I feel my balls start to tighten, and I pull her head away. “I’m not coming in your mouth the first time we do this, baby,” I say as I gently help her to lie back. I spread her legs and slowly inch myself inside her.
“I need you, please, Bray,” she begs as her legs wrap around my waist, and that one little plea is all it takes for me to drive all the way inside her, all the way home.